How do flexible work arrangements impact employee evaluation systems?

Survey conducted by Robert Walters Japan

On May 26, specialist professional recruitment firm Robert Walters Japan announced the results of a survey on workplace evaluation systems conducted among company employees working in Japanese and foreign-affiliated companies in Japan. 

Average weekly hours worked by company employees: 40-45 hours per week 

In terms of weekly working hours, most respondents worked “40-45 hours per week” (44%), followed by “46-50 hours per week” (23%) and “30-39 hours per week” (15%). The results suggest that many company employees work efficiently when considering the typical 8-hour day, 5-day work week.

Of the company employees who answered that they work an average of 46 hours or more per week, 55% said that their managers do not take any considerations to ensure that employees’ work hours and workload are within reasonable limits. Conversely, 72% of those with an average work week of 45 hours or less said that their managers ensured that work hours and workload were reasonable. 

Perceived impact of various work styles on employee evaluation

We asked respondents whether they thought flexible work arrangements have an impact on employee evaluation for each of the following: “working in the office,” “working from home,” “shorter working hours,” “flex-time,” and “workcation.” Nearly half of the respondents answered that their evaluation was not affected by any of the above work styles. 

Looking at each of the work styles, 30% believed that “working in the office” had the most positive impact on employee evaluation while "shorter working hours" (26%) and “working from home" (17%) were the most common responses for work styles that could have a negative impact on evaluation. 

Although flexible working itself does not often affect employee evaluation, we found that a number of company employees believe that working shorter hours has a negative impact on their evaluation. As for the “workcation” concept, which has come up numerous times in recent work style reforms, 60% of companies have introduced it as an option for their employees.  

Based on the survey results, many company employees believe that the number of hours they work affects their work evaluation. In an era where diverse work styles are more prevalent, employers may consider establishing evaluation criteria that are tied to performance rather than time spent working to attract and retain talent. 

(Survey period: 24 - 31 March 2022, Target: Company employees registered with Robert Walters Japan and living in Japan n=709)

Press Release(PDF)

About Robert Walters Japan:

Established in London, United Kingdom, in 1985, Robert Walters is a specialist recruitment consultancy with operations in 31 countries around the world. Robert Walters Japan established its Tokyo office in 2000 and Osaka office in 2007.  For over 20 years, we've been a driving force in the Japanese bilingual recruitment market, providing high quality candidates for our clients and access to the best jobs. Our consultants are experts in their respective industries and work in teams to provide recruitment consultation services across a wide range of industries and job categories.